The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-09-27
RAILWAY PASSENGERS.
They Have Rights Which Train Employees
Are Bound to Respect.

Are Bound To Respect.
An interesting case has lately been
decided by the court of last resort in
Pennsylvania, where the plaintiff had
recovered in an action against the Lake
Shore & Michigan Southern Railway
Company damages to the very unusual
amount of $4,000. The suit was
brought on account of sy<-ere and per
manent injuries which the plaintiff re-
ceived in consequence of I'ing put of
in the middle of the nighsfrom the linn
tied express train running eastward
from Cleveland, o. He had ticket
which entitled him to first-class pas
sage from Cleveland to Erie. and about
midnight he took his seat in a car of
the limited express. tn which he was
directed by brakeman standing by.
Ii appears, however, that ordinary tick
cts are not good on this train, for
which n special rate of fare is charged.
The plaintiff was ignorant of this fact
until the conductor refused to- take his
ticket. telling him that it was mo
SOOu. lllctI Ills WtlC sup
the train and eject Immediately per-
sons who endeavored to ride on such
tickets. The plaintiff offered to pay
his fare in money, and when this offer
was refused, begged that at least he
should be carried To the next station.
The conductor. however. would not
accede even to this reasonable request,
but stopped the train and put off the
plaintiff where there were many tracks
and switches. where locomotives were
constantly passing and where ''brOken
trains" were "ioated." While trying
to- reach the nearest station the plain
tiff was struck in the hack by some OBJ
ject which the jury must have inferred
was either locomotive or car, and
90 received the injury on account of
which the suit was brought.
The railroad company in their de-
Tense contended for principle. which.
if once established, would be extremely
convenient for such corporations and
quite the reverse for their passengers
They maintained that travellers by rail
are bound To know the rules of the road
in regard To the tickets which they buy
Just a. citizen is bound TO know the
laws of his State and city; and conse-
gucntly that the plaintiff. in taking n
seat in the limited express, was tres
passcr, and could lawfully be treated
is such by the company. The court
rejected this pretension. saying: "A
passenger who has an open way to an
open car going u the place To which he
bought and holds ticket. without
knowledge that the ticket is not good
nn such car, l. not to- be treated aS j
wrong-docr, endcavoring To ride with
put payment of fare, or tO ride in u car
which he knows his ticket gives no
right to enter" The plaintiff. there
fore. was entitled to pay his fare in
money, and the company had no right
- eject him. Another point a. to dam
I@cS. almost equally important, was
also decided in this case. The Judge
who presided at the jury trial charged
that punitive" damages. that is dam
ages which would be more than Il COM
pcnsation for the injury. and in the ma
ture of Il puniShment-might be given
if the jury found that the plaintiff was
put off from the train ut a dangerous
place. The court sustained this ruling
saying that the act of the conductor
amounted either to wilful misconduct
car reckless indifference to the safety of
the plaintiff; and that inasmuch as the
plaintiff could have recovered punitive
or exemplary damages against him, he
could also recover them against his en-
ploycr. the railroad company. The
court added with some humor: 1T is
unnecessary now to consider whether
the company may put off 4 trespasSer
tn whom it owes no duty, at a place
where there is probability that he will
bc killed. "-B0StOH Transcript